I don’t usually play video games with my family, but there are a few that I have found that connect with the non-gamers in my family.

For years, Rock Band has found its way out of storage around the holidays. It’s just so easy to get people playing, even if the controllers are intimidating, they can wrap their mind around singing.

One game I am interested in introducing to my family during the holidays is Overcooked. I was late to the party, but I absolutely adore the game. I think the mechanics are simple enough to attract non-gamers and I know core gamers like me can get a lot from them as well.

Only my brother really plays video games, and we don’t often play during the the holidays. But my family really enjoys board and card games so we play a lot of those.

Cards Against Humanity is an old standby, as long as the grandparents aren’t around, and games like Uno or Rummy are popular with us. I’m bringing home a few new games to try with the family this year like Sushi Go, a sushi themed drafting game.

One I’m really excited to play with them is DropMix. It’s a new card game by Rock Band developers Harmonix. Each card has a song and a music instrument on it and putting that card on the game’s special board will play that part of that song.

You might mix the vocals from “Push It” with the drums from “Sexy and I Know It” and the bass from “Short Skirt Long Jacket.” And since the game adjusts it so they’re all in the same key and tempo, it almost always sounds good.

The actual game modes are just okay, but the tech is pretty cool and the game was a hit with my board game friends already.

For the most part we tend to play games that aren’t controller intensive. It’s easier to enjoy a game as a family when there isn’t a need to learn twelve different button functions and then another two dozen button combinations.

We focus on some smaller genres such as hidden object games or quiz style games. This way everyone can participate without any one person having a competitive skill advantage. We’ll also tackle the more lighthearted games like a LEGO Dimensions or Skylanders.

We’ll probably throw in some PS VR as well and just take turns with games like Fruit Ninja and Rush of Blood.

Jackbox has been a family favorite the last few years and it will be no different this year. To mix things up a little bit this year, I will be bringing my PS VR home this holiday season. I’ll take them on a quick tour of some of my favorite first time experiences, including Rush of Blood and SUPERHOT.

The main VR game will be Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. The player with the headset sees and interacts with a bomb. Everyone else is looking at a bomb disposal manual. The pressure from the timer slowly ticking down and the confusion of how many wires there are and what colors creates a fun and chaotic situation.

Your Turn

These are the games we will be playing with friends and family this holiday season. What will you be playing with yours? Tell us in the PS Nation Forums.